Siege of the Alamo | Feb 26 - Mar 6, 1836

On February 23, 1836, the lead elements of a Mexican army led by Gen. Santa Anna arrived in San Antonio, Texas. Santa Anna planned to put down a revolt which began the previous October and capture the Alamo, an old Catholic mission, held by about 189 defenders. His demand for unconditional surrender was answered by a cannon shot from the Alamo. 

The next day, Col. William B. Travis took over command of the garrison after Col. James Bowie fell ill. The same day, Travis sent out a call for reinforcements in his famous "To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World" letter. On February 25, the Mexicans launched forays against the south and east walls, both of which were repulsed. David Crockett, former Congressman and frontiersman, was instrumental in this fighting. 

Over the next several days, Santa Anna tightened his grip on the Alamo, keeping the garrison under a near constant bombardment from batteries positioned around the mission. The only reinforcements to reach the Alamo arrived on March 1, 32 men from Gonzales and forever known as the "Immortal 32". 

On the morning of March 6, Santa Anna launched a final assault. In a battle of roughly 90 minutes, the entire Alamo garrison perished. The Mexicans suffered around 400-600 killed and wounded during the attack. The Alamo's defense proved to be a galvanizing event for Texas and the cry "Remember the Alamo" one of the most famous in U.S. military history.